“After 14 years at Balmain as a creative director, it’s always an incredible honor and always surprising. When I started 14 years ago, I would never expect that 14 years later, I would get the chance to be honored by such an incredible institution,” said Olivier Rousteing, creative director of Balmain, who will receive the 2025 Couture Council Award for Artistry of Fashion at the Couture Council of The Museum at FIT‘s annual luncheon on Sept. 3.

While in New York in September, Rousteing said he’s looking forward to having the opportunity to meet with FIT students.

“Meeting with the students is so important,” Rousteing said in a telephone interview Monday. “I’m [almost] in my 40s now, and I started at 24, and the next generation is really important to me,” he said. From the moment he started he said he wasn’t doing it for himself, but for the future. All the things he tried to do for the brand — such as pushing for diversity and inclusivity from Day One and talking about where he comes from, and strength and resilience, “that’s part of my legacy that I bring to the new generation,” said Rousteing, who was born in Bordeaux and adopted by his parents at the age of 1.

Discussing what advice he’ll give to FIT students, the 39-year-old Rousteing said, “The advice I would always say, and I know it sounds cheesy, is to be yourself, no matter what. We are living in a world where sometimes people are scared to be different and people are scared to be unique. I believe successful fashion is to be different, and to show what hasn’t been seen before. It’s scary because we’re living in a world where the unknown sometimes scares people and scares yourself. But the reality is to be yourself, and no matter what, be resilient and don’t give up. That’s going to be your strength.”

With the European houses changing their creative directors at a dizzying pace, Rousteing was asked what he attributes his longevity to and his ability to keep growing and thriving in the role?

“I think I would attribute it to resilience because fashion is about what is trendy, but I think what makes me longer in the same house after 14 years is the product. What is better than being hype and cool is being timeless. When you start, there’s always a sense of newness, which is normal, but you can’t always be new. You have to leave a place for people who are new. What is important in your legacy is to keep the timelessness. Timelessness is about the quality of your product and being the witness of your time,” he said.

What he designed 14 years ago is “way different” than what he’s doing today, according to Rousteing. He said “it’s still keeping my DNA and still keeping my battles and my fights. But what I always say to my team, ‘be witness of your time.’” He said 14 years ago you had to fight for different battles that maybe fashion wasn’t recognizing at the time. “You need to keep fighting. Being resilient is what makes you stay longer. What will make you stay forever is the quality of the product and stick to your values,” Rousteing said.

Rousteing, who is signed with Creative Artists Agency, said it’s important as a creative director to show different skills. “My strength is to explore different fields where I can express my vision.” He said he couldn’t disclose any projects he’s working on.

Asked what’s inspiring him these days, Rousteing said, “I would say it’s pop culture, which always has. I’m a huge fan of music and had a chance to work with different collaborations with Beyoncé [Knowles-Carter], with Kim Kardashian. I like dressing the First Lady of France Brigitte Macron…I get really inspired. I dressed [former U.S. First Lady] Michelle Obama. You have a chance to connect with people who are inspiring you. When you start designing the clothes for them, it starts to identify another silhouette that can inspire you for the future,” he said. 

Rousteing said he’s currently in the South of Spain at a wellness clinic “to really work on my mental health, which I think is really important.”

“When you work in fashion as a creative director, you are up and down which is fully normal. You’re always obsessed by the critique and the love and the people. You have to step back and remember that you are human, you are not a super hero. What I’m doing this week is detoxing, meditation and taking care of myself, which I usually do every six months. Escaping once every six months to think about the future, think about my present, who I am, and coming back stronger to the office to work on my collection and my vision for fashion,” he said.

When he’s in New York in September, Rousteing said his visit will be centered on FIT, “which I’m super proud will be super important” and he’ll work on something with his team. “I think I’ll have an event with Balmain Beauty. [He launched his fragrance last year.] Being a creative director, I’m creating more than fashion but a lifestyle. My next thing is to build Balmain bigger than what it is today, and Balmain Beauty is part of this chapter,” Rousteing said.